Electus Unum
by RebelDroideka
Summary: When Nathan Potter's twin brother was entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, things quickly spiraled out of control. Now, Voldemort's reign of terror can only be ended by one man; but they have to convince him that they are worth saving first... (Harry swears like a drunken sailor occasionally, hence rating)
1. Part I Chapter 1

_November 13th, 1997_

 _Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

"So, SG-10 is late in reporting back but there was a dial-in attempt six hours into their mission. Nothing came through, though, and so you want us to check on them? Should be simple enough," Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill said with a shrug.

"Report back every hour on the hour," General Hammond said. "You depart in 30 minutes. Dismissed."

"Looks like we're doing a rescue mission. What do you know about the planet we're headed to, Teal'c?" O'Neill asked.

"It is a world that has become notorious among the System Lords in recent years. It was a temple constructed by a forgotten race, and was controlled by the Supreme System Lord Ra for many millennia. Since Ra's death, however, all attempts to take control of the planet by stargate have failed, and the world is now protected from orbital attack by weapons of unfamiliar design."

"So whoever lives there now isn't a big fan of the Goa'uld, I take it?" Doctor Jackson asked.

"Indeed not, Daniel Jackson. There are tales told by the few survivors of a green-eyed demon, who turned their Ma'Tok staves against them and conjured ghostly flames with a wave of its hand, destroying all who remain. The only false god to survive an assault also claims that the two slaves he brought were left untouched by the fire's advance."

"Maybe we can convince this person to help us fight the Goa'uld, or at the very least study their people's technology, sir," Captain Samantha Carter said.

"SG-1 to the Gate room, I repeat, SG-1 to the Gate room."

"Looks like we're about to meet this 'demon,'" O'Neill said. "Might wanna cover that symbol, Teal'c, he may get the wrong idea."

"Chevron seven, locked."

The stargate activated, and SG-1 stepped through

\- o -

 _Unknown Planet, 35 light-years from Earth_

The first thing the extra-worldly tourists from Earth saw was the darkness cast by the tall trees. The beams of light from their hand-held electric torches quickly found the trail, and the four travelers advanced with caution. The last dark forest on a mission had not ended well at all. Jonathan O'Neill still had nightmares of the place, what it had done to him and his team.

As they emerged from the treeline, they saw with surprise that SG-10 seemed fine. When the flagship team of Earth's Stargate program hailed them down, an expression of sorrow crossed the other team's faces as they hurried to meet up. A quick exchange confirmed to SG-1 that the others were who they appeared to be, and the reason for the former team's mission took the foreground in their minds.

"What's with the radio silence?" O'Neill asked, not outright accusingly, but not quite his normal tone either.

"They don't work, sir. None of them, not even the MALP. Even... even the GDO is not functioning."

"What do you mean, they don't work? Mark checked them himself before you left, like he always does," Carter said, confused and alarmed.

"At first we thought it was something wrong with our radios. Then we tried the MALP. They're fried. Something about this place is destroying electronic devices, Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter. Only the ones hardened against EMP are safe, and even they seem a bit glitchy after a while.

"So... there's some kind of interference in the atmosphere that is damaging electronic devices," O'Neill repeated.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, fuck. That's bad."

\- o -

It had been two hours, and SGs 1 and 10 were still no closer to finding out how to fix their situation.

Immediately upon realizing their situation, they had dialed back in and thrown rocks in Morse code, spelling out their situation and warning to not send anyone after them. They had then set off to find shelter, as it was approaching the night, and to hear SG-10 tell it, the local wildlife made the Goa'uld seem cute and cuddly in comparison. And were exclusively nocturnal, when the seven stranded humans would not be able to see them coming. Joy.

"Hey, T, where's that temple you were tellin' us about back at base?"

"It is north of here, Colonel O'Neill, and is not far from the stargate. We may, indeed, reach it before nightfall."

"Well, that's good news," one of the marines proclaimed. SG-1 groaned. He had just taunted the Great God Murphy.

-o-

Just after sundown, SG-1's suspicions were proven correct. The other shoe had dropped, and dropped hard. First, the temple was in the forest, where even hours before dark it was as though it were night. Second, one of the beasts SG-10 had described was now chasing them. Third, the temple's doors were sealed shut, and they had no shelter to speak of.

The creature snarled as it stood over Colonel O'Neill, having already killed two marines and knocked Teal'c out of the fight. Captain Carter was sporting some rather nasty gashes from the curved talon on the monster's paw, and Doctor Jackson had a rather sizable bruise on his forehead. If they survived, a concussion was probable. As things stood, though, it looked like this was the end.

Suddenly beam of light struck the beast, and it yelped in alarm as it ran off. When he stood, O'Neill saw their savior. The doorway, previously shut, was now gaping wide. In the frame stood a young-looking man with vivid, almost glowing green eyes. In his hands rested a smooth staff, the color of platinum. Almost-familiar runes decorated the shaft, and a small opaque stone, glowing with a pale light, was nestled between two prongs. The man's hand rested on a handgrip two feet down the staff.

"Sorry about that. I was on the other end of the facility. I only just got here." The man seemed genuinely apologetic.

"S'alright," O'Neill said. "Can you help us out? My team seems to need medical attention, and I'm not feelin' too great myself."

"Sure," the other person said with a shrug. "Let's get them inside and I'll guide you to the medical bay."

\- o -

"So, where are you from?" The man asked in the hall.

"A planet called Earth. Little place called the United States, to be specific," O'Neill said.

After a moment, O'Neill continued, "I hear you aren't the biggest fans of the snakeheads."

"Snakeheads?" The man asked, confused.

"Goa'uld," the older man explained.

"Ah. Yeah, no. I can't say I'm overly fond of them."

"Teal'c told us."

"The Jaffa over there?"

"How'd-?"

"I have my ways," He explained mysteriously. "I can also tell you that anyone who opposes the false gods is welcome here. He will come to no harm by my hand. Ah, we're here."

\- o -

The sun rose over the Ancient city. With it awakened the members of SG-1, rejuvenated from their encounter with the night stalker they had met just six hours prior. The 'beds' that had appeared the night before disappeared back into the ceiling after releasing the five earthlings held in their confines. At the door, they were met by the grinning young man who had saved their collective rears the night before.

"So, O'Neill of the U.S. of A., care to properly introduce your team?" he asked.

"Well, this here," he said, indicating the former First Prime of Apophis, "is Teal'c. The blonde behind me is Captain Samantha Carter. Absolute genius, she is, she rigged a replacement DHD for Earth 'cause we didn't have one.

"The guy with glasses is Dr. Daniel Jackson, he's the guy who figured out how to reopen the Stargate.

"The last guy isn't actually a part of my team. The other members of his team were killed by that... thing. So, who're you?"

"My name is Harrison James Potter, I'm the... protector... of this place."

"Why was that task assigned to a child, Harrison James Potter?" Teal'c queried.

"Because there is no one else capable of doing so." At the confused looks from the others, he elaborated. "The technology here relies on a specific gene sequence in the DNA of the person attempting to use it. Without that gene, it won't even power on. Most of the stuff will remain usable once it's on, but the more dangerous stuff, like the defense systems, need the gene sequence to be operated."

"You're the only one with that gene sequence?" Captain Carter asked.

Harrison sighed. "I'm the only one, period."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I am the only one of my kind left in this portion of the galaxy."

\- o -

After the revelation in the medical bay, SG-1 and their addition until they found a way home followed their host to a meeting area, where they got down to business.

"What brings you to this world?" They were asked.

"SG-10 was sent as part of a routine scouting mission. When they failed to check in for over a day, we, that is, SG-1, were sent to check up on them. Unfortunately, there seems to be something frying our non-hardened electrical equipment. Like our radios. So we can't go home."

"Why not?"

"Our stargate is protected from unwanted intruders by a metal barrier, only a few micrometers from the event horizon. Anything solid coming through while it is closed can't reform, effectively disintegrating it."

"So, since your radios don't work, you can't tell them you are you, so they won't know to take the shield down," Harry summarized succinctly. "Oops."

"Oops? Why oops? You didn't do anything."

"Actually, yeah, I did," he admitted. "I set up a field that would make small devices, like Goa'uld hand devices, melt so their personal shields don't activate. I might be able to send a message, if you like, once I deactivate the field so you can get home."

"That is much appreciated, Harrison," Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill proclaimed. "Hey, while we're at it, would it be possible to work out a trade deal? Our program's mandate is to acquire technologies and resources to defend our home planet from our enemies, namely the snakeheads."

"It is a worthy goal. I will consider a trade agreement. This is all moot, though, if we can't get you back home."

"Point. Let's get to it, then."

\- o -

 _Stargate Command, Colorado Springs_

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

"What have we got, sergeant?" General Hammond asked.

"We're receiving a transmission, sir."

"Put it on speakers."

"-I repeat, this is Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill, do you read me?"

"We read you, colonel. Let me be the first to say it is a relief to hear from you."

"Sorry for worrying you, sir, but our radios were fried by an energy field generated by a facility on the planet. We'd like to arrange a pick-up."

"Very well. Head to P5X-112. SG-8 and SG-9 will meet you there in four hours."

"Thank you, sir. Over and out."

\- o -

 _Videum, Stargate Clearing_

"So, kid, What're your plans for the next while?"

"I guess just stay here, watch, wait, and guard the legacy," Harry said with a shrug.

"Why not go somewhere else? Somewhere you can live a normal life?" O'Neill asked.

"I cannot leave the Legacy unguarded. If it were to fall into the wrong hands..."

"And only you can guard it?" the Tau'ri soldier asked dubiously.

"I am the only person known who possesses the ability to interface with the control chair to its fullest extent, so yes."

"Can't you hide it somehow? Move this 'legacy' to a place where it's not as easy to find?"

"It doesn't work that way," the young man said with a sad smile. "The only way to move it is to use it, and, due to its nature, that would be a certain death sentence for the user."

"So the answer is 'no,' then," O'Neill said with a sigh.

"Feel free to stop by every once in a while. As I said before, anyone who fights the Goa'uld is welcome here."

"We'll take you up on that. Goodbye, Harry."

"Goodbye."

Daniel Jackson entered the seven symbols of their destination, and SG-1 departed.

\- o -

 _November 17th, 1997_

 _Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

"Let me get this straight," General Hammond said. "There was some kind of... field... that disrupted electronics around it, supposedly to destroy Goa'uld hand devices should they attack a facility on the planet, located somewhat near the stargate compared to most planets so far explored. You then met a person claiming to be the last survivor of an entire civilization, a teenager, who happens to be the 'green-eyed demon' of Jaffa urban legend? Forgive me if I am somewhat skeptical of all this."

"Sir, it may be hard to believe, but we do have proof, for at least some of it. Our old equipment was melted from inside, and all but one radio was left untampered with by the members of SG-1 or SG-10," Captain Carter said. "I'm certain that, if the devices are checked by a tech expert, they will conclude that they were destroyed by some kind of interference. On top of that, there's the 'souvenir' O'Neill brought back. Those orbs were given to us by Harrison for use in our infirmary, they're a highly advanced medical bed, with scanning technology far beyond anything we have here on Earth. The technology undeniably exists, sir. You have to admit that."

"That brings up another point of concern," Hammond said. "Why would a person just give us advanced technology, without asking for anything in exchange?"

"He said it was in the interests of future relations," Jack proclaimed. "And why not give us advanced medical technology? It's not like it's a weapon, and the ability to reproduce it is well beyond us."

"Indeed, it is as Colonel O'Neill states. A form of medical technology is a show of willingness to trade technology without risking it being misused, or used against the original owner. It will undoubtedly have many safeguards to prevent it from being abused."

Hammond took several moments to consider these arguments. Finally, he said, "Very well. I will authorize an attempt to contact this 'Harrison' again. But, I want a guarantee that it will not result in any more pieces of delicate equipment being destroyed. You are to only go through when he responds that the field is down, am I clear on this?"

"Yes, sir," Carter said.

"Try and find what he is willing to trade with us, and what he requests in return. Godspeed."


	2. Part I Chapter 2

_December 16, 1998_

 _Operations Room SGC, Cheyenne Mountain_

"Sir, somehow the stargate just got a huge power boost, it's drawing ten times more power than normal," Captain Samantha Carter reported.

"Isn't that impossible?" General Hammond queried.

"Yes, sir, the circuit should have blown."

Hammond walked the short distance to the wall phone, and commanded, "This is General Hammond, I want Sergeant Siler and a maintenance crew to the power room immediately."

Seconds later, a loud grinding noise echoed through the chamber, followed by two beeps, one following a short second after the first.

"Uh, sir," Carter began. "The 'gate is dialing out."

"Where to?" Hammond demanded.

"I have no way of knowing. We've completely lost control, sir."

Armed soldiers stormed into the former missile silo, empty now except for the immense Stargate near the back of the long vertical tunnel, and the ramp leading to it as alarms blared all across the facility, red emergency lamps going wild.

"Chevron five is encoded!"

"The device that Jack built is some sort of energy source, he just… hooked it up in the power vault," Daniel Jackson explained as he walked into the room, accompanied by Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, former First Prime of the Goa'uld System Lord Apophis.

"I would not have authorized that, Doctor Jackson. How do we stop this?" Hammond asked.

"You could have Siler pull the main breaker," Sam suggested.

"Chevron six is encoded."

"Wait, Jack has been saying that this is a good thing. So far, he has done nothing bad."

"So far," Hammond emphasized.

"Chevron seven… is encoded?" The ring continued to spin.

"And it's not the point of origin."

"What?"

"General, what if all of the anomalies that have been happening to Jack are part of some… big plan?" Daniel asked, capitalizing on his superior officer's confusion.

"What plan!?"

"Well earlier, Jack told me he had to go through the gate, maybe everything up until now has been leading… to this."

"What's it doing?" Carter asked, confused. The topmost chevron of the stargate snapped open one more time, the seven crystalline bars on each side flaring red once more. The device stilled.

"Chevron _eight_ is locked."

With a thunderous roar, the stargate came to life at last.

"The wormhole is tracking… Captain?"

"Sir, the computer indicates that the wormhole is leaving our known network of stargates. It's going outside of our galaxy."

"That explains why the 'gate needed all the extra power," Jackson said in realization.

"Hold on. I thought stargate addresses were six points in space, with the seventh symbol being the point of origin?"

"The extra chevron must add a new distance calculation to the existing points, kind of like… dialing a different area code," Carter suggested.

"Now what?"

As if in answer, Jonathan O'Neill turned and began to walk out of the room.

"Colonel!" Hammond cried out. Two guards stood in Jack's path. "I'm just supposed to let you go?"

He's already gone, General," Jackson said sadly. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

The guards reluctantly stepped aside, and SG-1 followed their leader down to the embarkation room, accompanied by the commanding officer of Stargate Command.

"I will accompany you, O'Neill," Teal'c proclaimed.

"I really think he needs to do this alone, Teal'c," Daniel said, shoulders slumped.

"I really hope this is the right thing to do," Hammond muttered as Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill walked up the ramp to the event horizon of the open stargate.

"Wait!" Carter cried, running into the room. "Without the remote code device, he won't be able to get back."

"Without knowing where he's going and why, that could put us in further jeopardy. I'm sorry, I can't authorize it."

Daniel ran up the ramp. "Jack. You understand that if you do this, if you go, you might not be able to come back?"

O'Neill nodded his head once, and stepped through.

Up in the control room, a technician reported on the progress of O'Neill's transit, saying, "Traveller is still en route." The computer beeped and blinked red. "We've… lost the traveler."

-o-

 _Stargate Room, Othala_

O'Neill tumbled out of the stargate, crying out in alarm as he flew through the air before landing on the red steps with a thud.

As he stood, he saw two waist-high grey-skinned aliens, their unblinking eyes fixated upon him. With realization, one of them held up their hand, and a crystal began to extract the information from the man's mind. Upon finishing the process, the being said, "Take the crystal to Thor. This information should be with the rest. I will explain things here."

"Who… who are you?" O'Neill asked groggily, as though awakening from a deep slumber. "Where am I?"

"You are on Othala, homeworld of the Asgard, in the galaxy of Ida."

"How did I get here?"

"You arrived through the stargate."

"Why did I come here?" the human asked cautiously.

"In the distant past, there was an alliance of four great races. The Asgard, the Furlings, the Nox, and the Ancients, the builders of the stargates. The Ancients left behind many devices for their chosen successors, only to be revealed upon passing certain tests. By surviving this long with their knowledge inside your brain's data centers, you have passed one of these tests. However, the knowledge was still slowly killing you, and had I not removed the information from your mind, you would be dead at this moment in time."

"I'd be dead?" O'Neill asked in shock.

"There is none currently living, and indeed never has there been a person who could survive with the entire database in their mind indefinitely. Even the closest to a living Ancient yet known would be unable to accomplish that feat. The repositories were not designed to release all of their contents into a single mind, but rather, to distribute it in chunks. However, over the millennia it has been since they were placed, their energy reserves have fallen dangerously low, overriding normal safety features. Hence, why every known repository was either destroyed or placed under the protection of the last living Alteran."

"Why does that sound familiar?" O'Neill asked himself. "Alright, thanks for helping me out, I really appreciate not, well, dying. Um…" He began to pat down his pockets. "Shit. I didn't bring a GDO."

"I will remotely open your planet's iris for you, if you desire."

"No, I'll just go to one of our allies' planets and call in from there. Don't want to jeopardize Hammond's trust in you guys."

"Very well," the asgard conceded. "What world will you travel to?"

O'Neill pointed at the symbols on the dialing pedestal. The asgard blinked twice before dialing the intergalactic address for Videum, and sent a radio signal through to inform Harry of his impending guest.

-o-

 _Alpha Site, Videum_

"Colonel," an airman said as O'Neill stepped through the Stargate to the Alpha Site, "Harrison would like to speak with you. He said it is a matter of vital importance." In the two years since they had met Harrison Potter, Stargate Command had forged a close alliance with him and the villages under his protection. The planet, Videum, had become their new Alpha Site after Apophis destroyed the first.

"Alright. Is there a truck I can take to the facility?"

"Yes, sir," the airman said. "Over here, sir."

\- o -

 _Ancient City, Videum_

"I'm sure you heard about the attacks on the facility over the past few weeks," Harry said as soon as Jack entered the control room.

"Yeah, why?"

"I found out who is behind them. It's Anubis."

"Anubis… I don't think we've met _him_ yet."

"Be thankful you haven't. His crimes are, even to the System Lords, unspeakable. He was banished ten thousand years ago, and believed to be dead. Evidently, he isn't, and he is gathering a force unlike any this galaxy has seen since the days the Ancients fought their greatest enemy almost thirteen million years ago."

"Well, shit. Alright, where is he so we can kill the bastard?"

"That's the problem. I don't think we can. Anubis is, from what I have ascertained, at least partially ascended."

O'Neill closed his eyes. "How sure are you about that piece of information?"

"Given that it was relayed to me by the asgard, very."

"What can we do, then?"

"I have already begun the process of fortifying Videum against orbital attacks. I highly recommend that your superiors do the same."

"We don't have any weapons able to take down a Goa'uld ship yet," O'Neill said.

"Then you need to accelerate your plans on those battlecruisers. Due to these extreme circumstances, I think it is justified if I give your people the plans to some basic ship to ship weapons," the young man said, tapping on his holographic personal a few moments, he handed O'Neill a data crystal.

"What's this?"

"Plans for a weapon that should prove at least moderately effective against Anubis' upgraded Ha'taks, while still within your ability to manufacture. The specifics are all on the crystal. Make sure that does not fall into the wrong hands, Colonel."

"I won't. This is going straight to Carter's lab."

"Good. I'll contact the SGC when I have more information on Anubis." Harrison walked off. Jack pocketed the small blue crystal and headed for the surface.


	3. Part I Chapter 3

_March 12th, 2000_

O'Neill broke out into a run as the klaxons began to blare in the distance, emerging from the dark wood at the top of a high cliff. He watched in horror as golden orbs struck the field, tearing the Alpha Site apart.

It would be three hours before he could bring himself to move from that cliff face, and head to the "inner fortress," as it had come to be known by SGC personnel. It would be another four before he located the rest of his team, wounded but, thankfully, alive.

When the orbiting ships began to target the subterranean city itself, it was only the comforting green glow of Harrison's shield that kept him from giving in to the rising sense of hopelessness.

\- o -

 _March 14th, 2000_

"We need to evacuate," Harrison said, visibly straining from the effort of blocking the bombardment.

"How many at a time can we manage, do you think?" O'Neill asked.

"Six or seven could make it past the patrols, I think. Any more than that is pushing it."

"I'll organize everyone into groups." Harrison suddenly winced in pain, and the shield briefly fell. The complex shook from the force of the Goa'uld weaponry impacting directly above them. "How much longer can you maintain the shield?"

"A few hours, probably. I hope," he responded, gritting his teeth.

"If there's anything we can do, let us know."

"Okay. Go. Get everyone out of here."

"Where's the Eye?"

"I'll handle the Eyes. Just get everyone to the stargate!" Harrison felt the shield collapse again, and he almost fell to the floor from exhaustion. He gripped his staff tightly to hold himself upright. "Go!"

\- o -

 _Videum, Stargate Clearing_

Daniel Jackson hurriedly dialed Earth. 'Auriga… cetus… centaurus… cancer… scutum… eridamus.' He pressed the button. The wormhole failed to activate.

Several Jaffa stormed into the clearing, having heard the stargate locking the chevrons. As Daniel entered the symbols a second time, the other members of SG-1 attempted to fight the attackers off.

Once again, the stargate failed to engage.

Several minutes later, and after a few more dialling attempts, Harry used the last of his energy to conjure his signature green fire to take out their pursuers. The flame twisted and braided itself in mid-air, reaching out in tendrils towards the oncoming Jaffa. The searing heat burned through their armor long before the fire actually touched them. Within moments, the entire attacking force had been melted to a puddle of slag. As he gazed upon his handiwork, Harrison collapsed.

The stargate engaged, and immediately after Carter entered the IDC, the team dragged Harry through the gate.

\- o -

 _Infirmary, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

Harrison groaned as he came to, uncomfortable without the calming presence of Videum's main computer in his mind, feeding him status reports on the buried city of the Ancients. As awareness returned to his form, he recalled the final minutes of the evacuation. He remembered grasping the Eyes of the Goa'uld in his hands and fleeing. He remembered that moment of desperate panic when he dropped one of the artefacts inside the halls, and being dragged away before he could retrieve it.

A sharp jolt went through his body as he searched for the object that was supposed to hang around his neck. He fumbled around in the darkness, hands searching every surface for the medallion that held his ancestors' last hope of their legacy being continued. If he had lost that as well…

After several minutes of blindly groping about in the darkness, a blinding light assailed his eyes, and he heard someone walking into the room.

"Harrison James Potter," he heard an oily voice say. "Denizen of P27-5F3. Alien host to Stargate Command personnel. Species, human. Subspecies, unknown." A sound, almost like that of a Zat'nik'tel echoed through the infirmary, and the lights on the security camera in the corner stopped blinking.

"Where did you leave your belongings?" the man asked coldly.

Harrison stared past him, unblinking.

"I said, where are the Eyes!" his would-be interrogator cried out, anger permeating his voice.

"I dunno, I fell over and dropped em."

"You lie!" the man cried, spittle flying from his mouth. "When I find out the truth!-"

The infirmary door slammed open, and Colonel Jack O'Neill stormed in angrily.

"Who authorized your presence on MY base?"

"Senator Kinsey, Colonel," the man said with false deference, suddenly the perfect picture of calm.

"You mean the man that Harry, here, got arrested for treason a few months back?" Colonel O'Neill asked with a smirk. "Ooh, you didn't know about that, did you? Why don't you tell us who really sent you? Or should I arrest you for trespassing, hm?"

"Anubis will destroy you," he declared, drawing a pistol. Before he could even get his weapon clear of its holster, Harrison's eyes blazed with fire, and the staff by the side of his bed shot out a jet of emerald flame from the tip, wrapping around the man's body in a cruel mockery of proper restraints. Harrison turned his full attention to his captive, his staff pulsing with an eerie light. After a few moments of silence, broken only by the crackling of the unearthly flame, those ropes of energy began to sink into their victims flesh.

"Your god cannot save you now, Daol, son of Va'yir. The fire's of Ne'tu are insufficient to make you answer for your crimes. Perhaps mine will serve as an adequate punishment."

A pillar of sickly green flame erupted around the servant of Anubis, and, seconds later, died down. A pile of ash, still smoking, lay on the floor, the concrete scorched from the heat of the flames.

"He wanted the eyes.," Harrison said by way of explanation. "So, what brought you down here?"

"Hammond wants a report on what happened on Videum," O'Neill said.

"You were there. Why don't you write the report?"

"He wants to know what your perspective on the attack. You might have seen something we didn't, or understand something about the attack that wouldn't be apparent without the right background knowledge."

"I guess I can write something out real quick. Just like Chimaera all over again," he muttered.

"Oh, by the way, did you see a medallion, it's a circle thing with a depression in the middle?"

"You were wearing it when you were brought in here. Carter has it right now, said something about it looking 'eerily familiar.'"

"Could I have it back, please? I'd feel much safer with that where I can sense it," Harrison said reluctantly.

"Alright. Just be prepared for Carter to grill you about it later," Jack responded with an easy grin.

\- o -

 _Sublevel 22, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

Harry focused on the wall behind the wardrobe in his new office. Days prior, his request to stay at the SGC had been tentatively approved, and he was given a space to call his own. Truly, he had missed living with other humans. 'Three years of mainly professional contact with one's own species, three years of almost total isolation, really puts things in perspective,' he mused. With a shake of his head, Harry returned his attention to the wall.

Slowly, the concrete began to warp, creating a small, deep hole into the bedrock. A human-sized alcove melted into being two feet into the tunnel, and Harry slipped the small medallion into place. With a thought, it expanded to full size.

Harry willed the concrete hole to reseal, and after a moment, there was no sign of the Repository of Knowledge having been hidden there. Harry nodded to himself in satisfaction. 'Now I just need to work on my casting speed again,' he resolved.

"Potter, report to the briefing room," Hammond called over the intercom.

\- o -

 _Gate Room, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

Harry rechecked the combat vest nervously. This would be the first time he went through the stargate to an unknown location, and while he had been in combat before, this time he didn't know what lay in wait.

"Dial it up, Walter," Hammond proclaimed.

"Yes sir," Sergeant Harriman said. With the pressing of a few keys, the systems delivering power to the stargate released a powerful pulse of energy into the naquadah ring, triggering the release of the internal mechanisms holding the inner track in place. Four powerful motors started to turn, and dialing commenced.

"Chevron one, encoded," Harriman called out.

"Nervous, Harry?" O'Neill asked.

"I've only been through the stargate once, and it was into confirmed friendly territory," he defended.

"Don't worry about it, everyone is nervous their first trip into the unknown," Daniel said.

"Chevron two, encoded."

"At least you won't be frozen solid on the other side like we used to be," O'Neill said, amused.

"At least there's that," Harry said with a sigh, steeling his nerves.

"Chevron three, encoded."

"What do we know about this planet?" O'Neill asked Carter, trying to change the subject.

"All we know is that, this time of year, the wormhole passes dangerously close to the sun. In fact, had we left when we were originally scheduled to, the matter stream would have been bisected by a solar flare."

Harry cut in. "I'm suddenly very glad the mission was delayed."

"Why?" Carter asked, interested.

"Had that happened, the matter stream would have been rerouted significantly. It may have even caused us to leap back or forward in time."

"And who knows if we would have been able to get back," Carter murmured in realization.

"Chevron six is encoded."

"Well, kiddos, let's get ready to move out."

"Yes, sir," SG-1 said in unison. Harry checked his backpack's straps once again, and hoisted it onto his shoulders.

"Chevron seven, locked."

SG-1 departed to P2X-555.

\- o -

 _August 14, 2000_

 _Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Stargate Operations_

"Sir, we're receiving a message from the Tok'ra," the on-duty communication technician reported.

"Put it on speaker," Hammond ordered.

"Stargate Command, this is Selmak of the Tok'ra. New information has come to light about a major threat to this galaxy. In the past few months, a goa'uld, working in the shadows, has subjugated two system lords, using ships far superior to a goa'uld ha'tak, though taking the same form." Hammond's eyes widened. That sounded remarkably like Anubis. "At present, the identity of this new goa'uld is unknown, nor have our spies discerned how they have acquired such advanced technology. It is highly recommended that you proceed with further stargate exploration with caution. Selmak out."


	4. Part I Chapter 4

_November 5th, 2000_

 _Colorado Springs, Colorado_

The car raced down the parking lot at the two men near the van, blue sparks lashing forward forming a shield of sorts in front of the silvery car. Cobalt light pulsed along ribs protruding from the chassis. Abruptly, in a great flash of light, the car disappeared, twin trails of fire rushing past the two figures observing the event.

One of them, an older man with hair always splayed out in all directions, started jumping up and down, crying out, "What did I tell you?! Eighty-eight miles per hour!"

Harry stared in fascination at the small box on the wall. Only a few days prior, Jack and Daniel had introduced him to the wonders of television, and he hadn't been able to get enough. So far, he had watched the Star Wars Trilogy, Independence Day, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He was now watching Back to the Future. It was a wonderful distraction to keep his mind off of the events of the past several months.

First, a naquadah-rich asteroid hurtled at the homeworld of Humanity, nearly ending with the destruction of all life on Earth. This was immediately after followed by a desperate message from Narim, the Tollan ambassador with Stargate Command, begging for assistance in rescuing what was left of his civilization from Tanith's revenge. The Tel'tak used to avert the asteroid crisis was sent, along with three SG teams, to assist them. It was there that they learned that Tanith was not acting alone. The only upshot of the situation with the Tollan was that they were now more amenable to give some of their technology to the Tau'ri.

Meanwhile, more worlds were falling, each to a different Goa'uld with the same technology. Finally, Jacob Carter and Selmak confirmed the identity of the newly-emerged threat to galactic stability: Anubis, a system lord whose crimes were revolting even to the Goa'uld, whose exile had endured for a span longer than the Tok'ra's entire existence. The one who sought the legacy of the Ancients.

All of SG-1 quite appreciated the distraction of introducing Harry to television. It forced them to not dwell on what had transpired.

\- o -

 _March 16th, 2001_

 _Embarkation Room, Cheyenne Mountain_

"All rise. Harrison Potter, step forward," Hammond commanded. "For over a year now, Harrison James Potter has shown all the qualities expected of an officer in the United States Air Force, and a member of this base. With the President's approval, I hereby grant you a commission in the Air Force, and the rank of Captain."

\- o -

 _August 5th, 2001_

 _SGC Briefing Room, Cheyenne Mountain_

"I admit to being curious, Captain Potter," Hammond said. "Exactly what is your staff, to be able to do the things SG-1 reports?"

SG-1 had just returned from a standard recon mission gone bad, prompting Harry to call on his powers again. The team's, and the General's, curiosity was too strong to ignore. What if it could be replicated?

"That is an interesting question," Harry said. "Ultimately, it stems from what my ancestors called Zero Point Energy. With the proper medium, it can be shaped and altered to achieve many effects. At their height, this energy was the power source for some of our civilization's greatest achievements.

"What my staff does is it amplifies this energy and channels it in a specific way. A neural interface allows me to control it telepathically."

"So it is not you yourself that summons the emerald flame?" Teal'c asked.

"No. Without my staff, I am severely limited in my abilities, though it is an innate ability to sense 'zpe' that allows it to work properly." Hammond looked thoughtful at that proclamation. Was he one of _them_?

\- o -

 _February 14th, 2002_

 _Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs_

Harry sighed in relaxation. For over a month, things had been blissfully quiet at the SGC. No saving-the-world stunts, no hair-raising encounters with a Goa'uld, just normal recon missions every other week.

Not for the first time, though, his thoughts turned to the land of his birth, and the people there. What life was like back in England? Had Voldemort announced his return yet? What was being done to fight him? Had anyone learned the truth about Cedric's death?

Harry's thoughts were especially drawn to Daphne. She was supposed to know him better than anyone, and she turned on him, with everyone else, not once but twice in the same year. He had wanted her help and support so badly during that bloody tournament, but her stubborn refusal to even acknowledge he existed when she was proven wrong had made his blood boil. Now, it saddened him to think that they would not have had a chance as a couple in the first place, even had the events of the Third Task not occurred. He sighed in sadness at the thought of what could have been.

"SG-1 to the briefing room, I repeat, SG-1 to the briefing room," Hammond called over the intercom.

Harry stood from his chair. With a catlike stretch and a glance at the clock - and had that much time really passed? - he headed out into the hallway.

\- o -

 _April 12_ _th_ _, 2002_

 _Gate Room, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

Deep within a mountain, a great ring began to spin. Seven lights around its edge began to glow, and a plume of turbulent energy erupted from within. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it retreated into the Stargate. A wall of energy, rippling like water, formed inside the ring, and five figures came through the doorway to another world.

"Welcome back, SG-1," a voice declared. "Debriefing will be at 1700 hours."

"Well," Doctor Daniel Jackson, the team's linguist and anthropologist, stated, "That was... interesting."

"Indeed," spoke Teal'c.

"Yeah, how do you have that much luck, Potter?"

"High rolls at character creation?" the man in question joked. 'Of course, even that wouldn't cover half the shite I pull off,' he thought to himself. "Really now, this is _SG-1_! We're supposed to do stuff like this!"

"Alright, boys, enough with the banter. We only have half an hour until debriefing, and I, for one, don't fancy getting Dr. Frasier angry by missing _another_ post-mission check-up," Major Carter said with a smirk. The rest of the team gulped, though none as noticeably as Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG-1's commanding officer.

"You heard the lady," he said, "Let's go see the scary lady with needles!"

-o-

On the way back from the infirmary, Harry Potter reminisced on his arrival at Stargate Command two years before. He had been beamed away from his cell below the Ministry the day before he was scheduled to go to Azkaban by the rogue Asgard Loki, and rescued a few days later by Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Thor's offer to be returned to his home had been denied, rather panicked. When Thor saw the memory of the event, he understood why. It seemed, he had stated, the descendants of the Ancients did not have their desire for justice.

Harry had eventually been placed on the world of his ancestors' legacy, where he met

SG-1. He had returned through the Stargate with them after an attack by Anubis, and had eventually been granted permission to join the program on a permanent basis.

Harry was jolted out of his reverie when he stepped foot into the briefing room. After the last of the team had filed in, General Hammond, the SGC's commanding officer, exited his office.

"SG-1," he said. "Report."

"Well, sir, the mission went about the way we expected. Nothing unusual happened at all."

"What Jack means to say, sir," Daniel interrupted, "is that the Goa'uld barged in on us about an hour after we got there. We were captured, as we... often are, and then Harry got us out using that staff of his that somehow never gets taken away."

"We come bearing gifts," Harry joked. "Two fully-functioning Al'kesh, just waiting to be picked up for study. We hid 'em about a half-hour's walk from the 'Gate."

"This may be just what we need for Prometheus, sir," Carter said excitedly.

"I'll have two teams retrieve the ships at the next available opportunity, and let the folks at Area 51 know you bought their Christmas presents early this year," Hammond decided. "Have your reports on my desk this time tomorrow. Potter, stay behind. The rest of you may go."

"General, sir?" Harry asked. "What did you want to speak about?"

"Sit down, son. This is an unusual situation, even by SG-1 standards." Harry's eyebrows jumped into his hairline. That was an extreme statement, one not made lightly. He sat down.

"Son, three hours ago, I got a call from the President saying there was a situation I should be aware of. He said that ambassadors from a '62442' division of the British government would be coming later this week to meet with you. He said I should tell you this, and that you would know what that meant." Harry's face drained of color. They were coming here?!

"They will arrive, apparently, in two days. They've been granted one week to discuss whatever it is they want to discuss with you."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Where will these meetings take place?"

"This room, why?"

"Just... curious."

"I'll put an extra officer on guard duty outside the door."

"Thank you, sir. Um, if it's not too much to ask... can I have a zat on me during the meetings?"

"If it's the group I think it is," Hammond said solemnly, "I'd be concerned if you didn't ask."


	5. Part II Chapter 1

April 15th, 2002

Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs

James Potter and his wife Lily stared in shock as their portkey landed outside Cheyenne Mountain. The obviously-military nature of the complex was... concerning. They had known that he worked for the United States Air Force, a confusing fact in and of itself, but why would "Deep Space Radar Telemetry" warrant such a well-defended compound? And, even worse, why did it look like the security measures were more to keep people in than out? They both gripped their emergency portkeys tightly.

As they approached the mountain, they were stopped three times, at different checkpoints. Finally, they got inside, where they were escorted into an elevator past a truly immense metal door, and their trip into the depths of the facility began.

"You're the people meeting Captain Potter," their escort said. It was not a question.

"We are," James agreed.

"I've known Harrison for three years now, and never once have I seen him as pale as when he walked out of the room having just been told you were coming to meet with him. What did you people do to make one of the bravest men I know look like he'd just seen a ghost?" When Lily opened her mouth to speak, he continued, "No, don't answer. I'm not sure I want to know. But whatever it was, I don't think you can undo."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence in the elevator car. Thankfully, the elevator came to a stop at last.

When they stepped out, their escort ushered them into a second elevator, nodding at a man with a gold symbol on his forehead. "Teal'c," he said. "There been any trouble?"

"There has not, Colonel O'Neill." The man turned his gaze on Lily and James for a moment, then looked away. If he had noticed the resemblance to Harry, he did not give any indication.

"Alright, thanks for the lookout, T," O'Neill said with a grin. "Tell the kid his one o'clock is here, will you?"

"Very well, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said. He walked into the hallway, and the elevator doors closed.

This time, the elevator stopped above the bottom of the shaft, on a floor labeled "Sub-Level 27." Colonel O'Neill guided them to a room with a large red and black table dominating the space. There was a window, why the muggles would put one in they couldn't imagine, but it was covered with a metal blast shield, obscuring whatever view it might have had.

The symbol on the wall appeared to be the project's crest, and they had seen it throughout the facility as they were being led to this room, on patches and on various documents people were carrying. The symbol featured a grey 'V' capped with a semi-circle, with a triangle inside its borders. Superimposed over this image was a gold caret with the letters "SGC" above it. What was this place? Was it some secret research facility? What were they studying?

"Sit down," O'Neill commanded. "Captain Potter will be down shortly." With that, he departed.

After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened again, and their son entered the room. He stood tall, his posture that of a veteran of war. If it hadn't been the muggle Air Force they were dealing with, they might have suspected polyjuice, but as it was, they could only wonder how "Deep Space Radar Telemetry" turned teenage boys into hardened soldiers.

They were struck speechless when, as soon as the door closed, Harrison's arm shot up, holding a statuette of a serpent that appeared poised to strike. Miniature bolts of lightning shot between the two halves of the snake's head as their son pointed the device at them in turn.

"I- Harry- We-" Lily stuttered. "What is that?"

"Why are you here?" Harrison asked coldly.

After a moment's pause, James spoke. "We need your help."

"Help from the person you accused of murder and conspiracy to commit treason?" Harrison asked derisively. "No. You're here to cart me off to Azkaban, aren't you? Your _precious_ Minister thought that by disguising the pair of you as my parents, I might be more easily deceived and coerced into coming quietly. It won't work. After the way they treated me during my brief incarceration, I trust them less than I trust Lucius Malfoy."

Lily and James flinched as Harry's words sunk in. After a moment's pause, James said, "We know what really happened that day."

"Oh, really? You expect me to fall for that shite? Please."

"I can prove it to you," Lily whispered.

"Oh?" Harrison asked cooly.

"I- I brought a pensieve, in case you wanted to see things happen first-hand."

"Alright. Fill it with whatever memories you want to me to see and hand it over. But don't expect me to dive in to that bowl until after this meeting's over."

"I- the pensieve can only hold a few minutes of memory at a time," Lily said carefully.

"Then choose the memory carefully."

James pulled Lily over to the other side of the room and hastily threw up a area-wide silencing spell. "What are you doing?" he hissed quietly. "You know that's not true. Pensieves can and have been used to store years of memory without issue."

"Harry doesn't know that," Lily responded quietly. "With his refusal to use the pensieve unless he is alone, he can't change out the few minutes of memory we give him at a time once he's viewed it. He has no choice but to keep meeting with us as long as the pensieve is in play."

James stared at her for a moment. Finally, he said, "What do we show him first?"


	6. Part II Chapter 2

April 16th, 2002

Harry stalked into the room on guard, with the snake statuette drawn, but not aimed at them. So the memory at least somewhat worked, James thought to himself with relief. Harry remained standing, though, just like the day before.

"Still you insist on disguising yourselves as those assholes, huh?" He sighed heavily. "I'll bite. If my innocence is proven, as the memory of the retrial would suggest, what do you want with me?"

"We need your help."

"You said that yesterday. With what?"

"You saw that You-Know-Who is back-"

"No fucking shit, dumbass! What the fuck do you think I kept telling everyone before I was carted off to Azkaban after that sham trial? No. You all refused to listen to me then, why is it suddenly my problem now?"

James closed his eyes, and recalled the night that the truth about Harry's supposed crime became horrifyingly clear.

OCTOBER 31ST, 1995

James was walking with Albus Dumbledore after a meeting with all the department heads about the most recent Dark Lord to crawl out of the woodwork in Britain. He was still at large following his escape from the ferry to Azkaban. According to the aurors on the boat at the time, there had been a blinding flash of light, an almost musical chime, and then Harr- _Dark Lord Potter_ was gone.

Dumbledore had confided with him, earlier that day, that he was still trying to figure out how he missed the signs, and went so far as to say that he blamed himself for the entire crisis.

Unfortunately, there had been no luck in tracking down the newest threat to their peaceful existence. Dumbledore's tracking spells all pointed to the stars, and a different one each day at that, when they attempted to use magic to find him. Somehow, he had massively obscured his magical signature. After two weeks of the same result, they gave up on using spells or rituals to find him.

For a time, there had been frequent sightings of Ha- _the boy_. Then, the Ministry, tired of false leads from people just trying to get a quick coin, passed a decree fining people for false reports of criminal presence or activity. No sightings whatsoever had been reported after aurors started enforcing the decree.

Dumbledore nodded to a group of people walking from the other elevator. James noticed something wrong immediately. Dumbledore, lost in thought more deeply that James had been, took a moment longer to realize exactly what this group was wearing. Black robes, with a pointed hood, not a wizard's hat. A bone-white mask, crafted into the visage of a skull, covered their face. And then they saw the man, if you could call him that, at the heart of the group.

Any who had fought in the Blood War would immediately recognize the figure at the head of this force. The ashen skin, crimson eyes, and serpent-like visage were very distinct. Harry Potter had not lied. Lord Voldemort had risen from the dead.

"Have you figured it out yet, _old man_?" Voldemort asked Dumbledore with a smirk, wand twirling lazily through his fingers, a glass orb dangling from his other hand.

"Have I figured what out, Tom?" Dumbledore asked, hiding his nervousness behind a facade that only one who had known the man for years could see past.

"The real murderer of the Diggory spawn, of course! I must say, it was ever so helpful of you to send him away, the only witness to my return."

James paled with shock and horror. Was he- he had to be. That meant…

"Indeed, it was _most_ helpful..." Voldemort declared triumphantly, holding aloft a small glass orb, no bigger than his fist, with coils of mist clouding its interior. A small parchment tag trailed below it, secured by a thin string. Dumbledore looked even more fearful by this development than the knowledge that they had condemned an innocent child to Azkaban, even if the boy- _Harry_ \- had never made it there.

"Absolute rubbish, Dumbledore. I can't believe we were both deceived by that bumbling old fool." With that, the Dark Lord dropped the sphere to the ground. The glass orb - a prophecy, James realized in surprise - shattered into tiny shards, barely bigger than a wood splinter apiece. The mist faded away, only a memory now, held within the minds of those who remembered its contents.

"Now, Dumbledore, prepare to die. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Headmaster barely dodged the jet of green light in time. In response, he sent a tongue of flame at his opponent. The Death Eaters made to attack, but their Master halted them with a cry, and hurled another curse at Dumbledore.

James, on the other hand, had no reservations about attacking. These scum followed the man who destroyed his son's life; they were going to pay. He slung his strongest blasting spell at the group of Death Eaters, and the battle commenced.

The fighting continued for several minutes. At some point, Aurors arrived into the Atrium, engaging the Death Eaters in skirmishes around the room. By the eighth minute of dueling, however, Dumbledore was visibly tiring. Only the arrival of another group of Aurors, accompanied by Madame Bones and Minister Fudge, averted their otherwise-inevitable defeat

Voldemort snarled. He knew an unwinnable fight when he saw one. "Retreat!" He and his minions vanished into the wind, taking advantage of the temporarily-lowered wards that allowed the Aurors to bring reinforcements into the building.

When the last of the Death Eaters had vanished, and he had recovered his breath, Dumbledore announced, "We have made a grave error. Voldemort, during the duel, confessed to me the real identity of Cedric Diggory's murderer."

Fudge cried out, "See here, Dumbledore – we all know Potter killed the boy!"

"We were wrong, Cornelius," the aging Headmaster said solemnly. "We were wrong."

Flashback End

April 16th, 2002

"So what was this supposed 'prophecy?'" Harry asked after James finished relating the story to his estranged son.

James took a deep breath and recited, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. The child of fate will be forgotten and condemned as the Dark Lord wanes and waxes. And either must perish at the hand of the other, for neither can die while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord shall be born as the seventh month dies."

"The hell do you take me for?" Harry demanded. "A fool? Those are the words of a two-bit fortune teller desperate for coin! I honestly thought I would never agree with Voldemort about anything, but damn, that's rubbish if I ever heard any. Why the hell can't you all fight him yourselves?"

James sighed. Clearly appealing to Harry's sense of obligation via the prophecy was a no-go.

"We tried," Lily said. "We tried, and failed."

"Really?" Harry asked snidely. "Must not have tried very hard, then."

"The day after You-Know-Who announced his return, Dumbledore called together the… old crowd… to discuss our options and plan our efforts to resist."

NOVEMBER 1ST, 1995

"Quiet down," Dumbledore called out as he sealed the doors to the hall.

"As I am sure you have all heard, Voldemort is back from the dead, and has gathered many of his Death Eaters back to his side. During the short time since his resurrection, Voldemort has already achieved a great victory: he has thrown the Ministry of Magic into chaos to the degree that he was never able to match in his first rise."

"You mean by announcing the Potter boy's innocence, when _you_ proclaimed him guilty?" A gruff voice, Lily couldn't tell who it belonged to, shouted from the back of the room.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes. With this one declaration, Voldemort has made it so that the Ministry is effectively unable to oppose him. We need to, once again, stand as a shield against the darkness."

"Under your leadership? You, who couldn't see the signs that he was making his return? You, who condemned an innocent boy to Azkaban because you didn't want to see the truth?" Lily realized with surprise that it was Alastor Moody, Dumbledore's long-time friend and second-in-command of the Order during the first war, who was speaking out against him.

"I, who was able to lead you all to stop Voldemort's advance in the first war," Dumbledore rebuked.

Emmaline Vance interjected, "At this point, the only one who _can_ lead us is Dumbledore. No one else has the experience he does. Yes, he made mistakes, and some of them have been costly, but who else here has led the fight against two Dark Lords?"

With a reluctant sigh, Moody conceded.

"If we're done with that matter," Dumbledore said sharply, "we need to plan our resistance."

"We don't have the manpower we used to have," Frank Longbottom stated. "Our number one priority has to be recruitment."

"Yes," Moody said. "Voldemort has a several month long head start on us there, at least."

"We also need information. We have no idea what You-Know-Who is planning, or where he's going to strike, right now." This from Arabella Figg.

"The intelligence group was gutted during the last war," Lily rebuked. "Only two of our undercover operatives are still alive, one of them out of contact, and only one analyst and interrogator each are left."

"It comes down to recruitment, then," Frank's wife, Alice, declared. "I'll get my team together and working on that immediately."

"Do that. Arabella, we need Mr. Fletcher's contacts in the bar scene, get him back in the fold. Alastor, prepare a training program for new response agents. I want an outline on my desk by the end of the week. Dismissed."

Flashback End

April 16th, 2002

"It sounds like this 'Order of the Phoenix' was off to a decent, if rocky, start," Harry said. "What made everything fall apart?"

Before either James or Lily could answer, the clock chimed three, and the guard outside the door entered the room. Harry proclaimed, "That's the start of my shift," and left, though he seemed regretful that the story had to be cut short..

James turned to Lily. "It looks like we've caught his interest."

"Yes. The mention of contacts and intelligence gathering especially. I think we should emphasize that during our retelling."

"I think you're right. Do you think he'd be interested in Chimaera?"

"I think he would be very interested."

"We shouldn't tell him who's involved from the start, though. Too much too fast."

"Agreed. It might serve as another way to keep him engaged."


	7. Part II Chapter 3

April 17th, 2002

Harry walked into the meeting room, once again with the snake statuette in his hand, but again not raised at them. James spoke as soon as Harry took a seat. "You didn't ask for a memory for the pensieve last time."

"No," Harry admitted. "I didn't think about it again until half-way through my shift."

"What do you want to see?"

"Something to finally prove you're not under polyjuice or using some other disguise, and actually are the arseholes you presently resemble."

In response, Lily carefully drew her wand and extracted a memory, before placing it into a vial James handed her. He stoppered it as he passed it to Harry.

"How do I clear the pensieve?"

"Tap your wand against the base three times, and it will clear."

"In case you've forgotten," Harry drawled, "my wand was snapped before I was put onto the ferry to Azkaban."

They winced. They had forgotten that little detail. "If you could get someone to bring to us after the meeting, we could clear it for you?" Lily offered.

"That'll work, I suppose. You'll have to stay put while you wait," Harry warned. "Now, where did we leave off yesterday?"

"You asked about what caused the Order to fall apart. It started with Albus Dumbledore's exile from Britain, following a vote of no confidence in his leadership of our community. Moody took over the Order, and for a while, things seemed to be getting better fast. The Death Eaters, in less than a month, were almost purged from the Isle.

"Then another organization was discovered lurking in the shadows. We didn't know it yet, but they would lead to our downfall…"

JANUARY 7TH, 1996

"This meeting is called to order," Alastor Moody, new head of the Order following Dumbledore's exile from Britain, proclaimed. "Fletcher, tell them what you told me."

"All 'f you've heard about the Death Eater attack that we din' havta fight off. I found out who stopped the bastards. Call 'emselves Chimaera, they do. S'posedly they don't train anyone of their own. No-one actually knows who they are, or wha' they want. Posted a bounty though, they did, for Death Eaters. 200 galleons per kill. Damn good money fer a mercenary job.

"There's a bloody good reason ye ain't heard about international attacks, also. They're it. Theys have themselves a damn fine network theys put to use trackin' attacks. Any time one even starts up, the bounty sheets they post self-update with the location."

"What's the bounty for captive Death Eaters?"

"None. Only the dead 'uns net a pretty coin."

"Do they not care about information?" Lily asked, confused.

"Seems to me, they don't need it. Theys likely got their fingers in every pie in West Europe by now. Prolly even know 'bout us. Might even be watchin' now. Wouldn't doubt it in the least."

Flashback End

April 17th, 2002

Harry shook his head in thinly-veiled amusement.

"What do you find funny about this?" James demanded, confused.

"Oh, nothing. Go on. What happened next?"

Lily took over the tale.

"Chimaera proved that the Order's old modus operandi, capture and imprison, was not the best way to fight a war. There was a schism in the ranks as to whether we should adopt Chimaera's method or not. Moody eventually decided that we could sort out the moral conundrum after You-Know-Who's death, and in the meantime we needed to do whatever it takes to get to that point.

"Not too long after that, the Dark Lord started to step up the rate of attacks on the continent significantly. We later learned that it was in direct response to the threat Chimaera represented. The mercenaries that had been keeping the Death Eaters at bay were unable to effectively react to the changed tactics You-Know-Who was employing. The Minister of Magic at the time was somehow convinced to upscale the Auror recruitment and training programs at the behest of the ICW, and funded by some anonymous donor, but the Minister only agreed on the condition that Alastor headed the project himself. In September, he was killed by Death Eaters in the first attack on British soil in over a year."

James braced himself, and took the reigns again. "Kingsley Shacklebolt took command then. He believed in Dumbledore's ideal of redemption at the expense of innocent life as long as it isn't _british_ life. He forbade Order intervention unless it was inside our borders, claiming that we needed to prepare for an attack at home, not expend our efforts elsewhere. The majority disagreed with him, but we did not have enough people to force a vote to replace him. That November, everything fell apart with the attack on Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts was attacked?"

"Some kind of explosion beneath the castle."

"How many casualties?" Harry looked mildly concerned.

Lily sighed sadly. "Two. Hermione Granger and George Weasley."

"What?" Harry demanded. "Tell me everything you know."

James and Lily looked at each other in surprise, unaware that he had been more than casually familiar with the pair, before they began to speak.

"Three days after the attack, Aurors investigating the explosion identified chaos magic residue in some of the dungeon walls. It would be quite some time before we learned that it was not an attack targeted on Hogwarts, or the Order."

"It was targeted at Chimaera," Harry whispered, comprehension beginning to dawn in his eyes.

"Yes. How did you…?"

"Figure it out? That doesn't matter. What happened?" Harry demanded, eyes almost pulsing with emerald light. James, confused and somewhat alarmed by the intense look on his son's face, decided to capitulate.

"Bill Weasley, the Order's expert on warding, guessed that it might have been an attempt to induce what he called 'ward cascade failure.' He says that the explosion was probably outside of Hogwarts' grounds because it 'would have triggered a chain of sequential wardstone failures' that would have destroyed all of Hogwarts and most of Hogsmeade."

"Okay, now how did Hermione and George die?"

"We don't actually know for sure. Fred told us that they died in the explosion. He told us that George was trying to save Hermione, who did… something, he wouldn't say what, in an effort to stop the explosion," Lily said.

"She failed," James added.

"No," Harry whispered. "She didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter. What happened after that?"

James and Lily looked at each other, confused. Clearly, he knew something they didn't. How, though? Nathan started Chimaera after Harry's arrest.

"I'm waiting," Harry said, drumming his fingers on the table.

At last, the elder Potters decided to finish their tale. "After the explosion at Hogwarts, the Order stopped fighting Kingsley's mandate. Europe… didn't last much longer, since Chimaera had vanished entirely, without a trace. Scandinavia was the last magical community on the mainland to fall to the Death Eaters. Minister Bones was assassinated three days later, as You-Know-Who's forces began to come back to Britain for the first large-scale attack since Amelia's administration wiped out their spy network years before."

Punctuating that statement, the clock struck three.


	8. Interlude 1

INTERLUDE

APRIL 17th, 2002

"I know you noticed his reaction to Hermione Granger and George Weasley's deaths," Lily said to James the moment they were back in the dubious privacy of their visitors' suite.

"Yes, that was strange," her husband agreed. "I didn't know that he knew them, except maybe in passing."

"And Chimaera started after Harry… left," Lily agreed.

"Do you think that maybe it started because he left?"

"It… could be possible. I doubt it, though. Nathan told us the reason they started that 'project.'"

"Maybe he lied?"

"Why, though? What could he have possibly gained by lying about the reason they formed Chimaera?"

"You're right… But we're getting off-track. How did Harry know those two well enough to be alarmed about their deaths?"

"He might have been friends with them?" Lily decided tentatively.

"He never talked about them," James dismissed.

"He never talked about anything personal after he started Hogwarts," Lily retorted sadly. "We didn't really let him."

"I- no. No, we didn't." For a time, they both were quiet. At last, James broke the silence and said, "That doesn't explain how he seems to know more that we're telling him."

Eager for the chance to distract herself from the sobering realization she had just shared with her husband, Lily jumped on the new topic of conversation. "It's like he has inside knowledge on some things."

"Like how he knew the Hogwarts explosion was an attack on Chimaera."

"Or his amusement at Fletcher's report to the Order."

"Or when he said 'she didn't fail.' He has to know something, something even the Order doesn't."

"And whatever it is, it has something to do with Chimaera," Lily said decisively.


	9. Part II Chapter 4

Part II Chapter 4

APRIL 18TH, 2002

James and Lily entered the briefing room and sat down to wait. They were going to finish the story of the Blood War by the end of the meeting, so that on their last day they could negotiate to get Harry to come back and help them end Voldemort's reign before it was too late.

As they had walked to the meeting room, they observed their surroundings a bit more closely than they had before, the prior night's discussion at the forefront of their awareness. Already they had noticed some unusual things about their surroundings. What sort of radar installation had archaeologists working on the premises? In combination with their observations upon their arrival at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, and the only conclusion James could draw was a cover-up. But what was being kept secret?

His musings were interrupted when Lily jabbed her elbow into his side, hard. He looked up, startled, and saw that Harry was sitting down at the table.

"Alright. Let's get this over with," Harry said with a grimace. "Are you certain there is nothing more you can tell me about Hermione and George's deaths?"

"Nothing that we haven't already told you. How did you glean so much information before we even finished the first sentence?" James asked.

"That doesn't matter," Harry said after a moment. "You left off with Amelia Bones' assassination?"

Lily took a moment to collect her thoughts, and then picked up the tale. "It wasn't long before the Ministry of Magic was assaulted by the full force of You-Know-Who's army. The aurors defending the place didn't last long, and the Order of the Phoenix barely arrived in time to assist in evacuating what few survivors there were."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean, 'why'?"

"Why did it take your Order so long to respond? You said before that you have an entire group dedicated to responding to Death Eater attacks. The battle between the aurors and the attackers can't have been so fast that people who can teleport got there too late if they left in a timely manner. What took your Order so long to respond?"

James sighed, and said, "Kingsley Shacklebolt was a good squad leader under Alastor Moody, and a skilled organizer when push came to shove. As the leader of a paramilitary force, though, he was sluggish at best.

"When he heard about the attack on the Ministry, he insisted on sending someone to check if it was actually happening before sending anyone to respond. That alone cost us several minutes. By the time he ordered us to deploy, fifteen minutes after learning that the Ministry was under attack, it was already too late."

"I sincerely hope, for your sake, that he stepped down," Harry said with a raised brow.

"There was a call for that," James conceded. "Had we listened to them, we might not be in as dire a situation as we find ourselves in now."

"Let me guess," Harry said sarcastically, "dozens more lives were lost because he refused to act decisively?"

"Hundreds," James said sadly.

"Hundreds?"

"Almost a thousand, by our last count," Lily confirmed.

"When did Shacklebolt finally step down?"

"Most of magical Britain had already been evacuated to the northern territories by the time it became clear that he wasn't able to lead us effectively."

"The regular line of succession for leadership of the Order was never intended to go to the third in line, much less the fourth. We also realized that there were certain qualities we wanted our new leader to have. So, we put it to a vote. It ended up being one of the people who had just recently joined that got stuck with that task."

"Anyone I know?" Harry asked, not expecting the answer they gave.

"Nathan."

"Na-Nathan? As in my brother, Nathan?" Harry asked, shocked. "The oaths should have-" and then he caught himself. He would not voice the questions burning in his mind.

"How do you know about the Chimaera oath?" Lily asked, astonished, sharing a glance with her husband.

"What happened after he took over?" Harry asked instead.

"Don't change the subject. How do you know about the Chimaera oath?"

"I am not answering that question," Harry proclaimed. "What happened when Nathan took over the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Tell us how you know about the Chimaera oath. It was written when Chimaera started, after you left. How do you know what it forbids?" James demanded.

"If you don't know the answer, I cannot tell you. What happened when Nathan took over?"

Lily grabbed James' arm and pulled him away for a moment. "I don't think there's anything we can do that will get him to give us an answer."

"We could stop telling him anything," James suggested.

"That would hurt us more than him!" Lily hissed. "We are here because we need him. He doesn't need us. If we end the story here, we won't be able to convince him to come back with us. We just… need to accept that there are some questions that he won't answer I guess."

A moment's worth of sputtering, and then, at last, James conceded. They returned to the table.

"What happened after Nathan assumed command?" Harry prompted once again.

"He did two things, really. First, he arranged a plan for defending Hogwarts, as well as setting up a way to move most of the refugees inside the ward boundaries," Lily answered.

"And the second?"

James stated, "He reorganized the Order into a more effective strike force."

"And how did this impact the war effort?"

"Scotland fell far more slowly than the rest of Britain, to be sure. It also may well be the only reason there is any organized resistance to You-Know-Who at all."

"Oh?"

"Hogwarts is all that is left of Free Magical Europe."

Harry seemed shocked. "What do you mean, Hogwarts is all that is left?"

"You-Know-Who had just finished mopping up the remains of Magical Europe by the time he targeted Amelia Bones, and when he invaded, he pulled out all the stops. His full force descended upon Britain like a swarm of locusts, destroying everything in their path.

"Nathan had us stop trying to oppose them head-on entirely, sending us after what he called 'targets of value' instead."

"What sorts of targets?" Harry asked.

"Death Eater staging areas seemed to be one of his favorites to hit. Sometimes, he'd send a team in with a small orb, about the size of a marble, that they would roll just inside a particularly noteworthy target's ward area, like the Death Eater governor's manor or their central barracks for a country. The next day, the place would become a smoking crater."

"So they are being used for their intended purpose," Harry whispered under his breath.

James and Lily looked at him in alarm. He knew far, FAR too much about things that he had no way, to their knowledge, of finding out. Lily almost questioned him, but remembered his refusal to answer their questions about the Chimaera Oath. She stayed silent as James picked up the tale.

"The first few times we attacked like this, it only led to extensive searches for possible bases of operations besides Hogwarts, and an increase in patrols near each location. When we kept striking, eventually, You-Know-Who himself came back to Britain for the first time since he went to focus on the mainland."

"Nathan wanted to set a trap for him. We… told him the prophecy, that it says that only you can kill him, but he set the trap anyways."

"What happened then?" Harry asked, intrigued. 'Maybe,' he thought to himself, 'they already have him contained and they just want me to strike the killing blow.'

"Every spell sent at him, both physical and magical, struck a golden shield that appeared out of nowhere. Our most powerful casters, putting everything they had into their spells, couldn't even give him a papercut."

'There goes that idea,' Harry thought with a sigh. "So Voldemort has conquered all of magical Europe, except Hogwarts."

"Yes."

"And no attempt to kill him has worked."

"Correct."

"And you think I can somehow bypass this shield?"

"The prophecy says you have the power to kill him."

"You're idiots."

The door suddenly opened, and the airman stationed outside poked his head in. "Captain, General Hammond wants to speak with you in the control room. He says it's urgent."

"I still have two hours until the meeting ends," Harry protested.

"I know, sir, but this can't wait."

Harry sighed, and turned to Lily and James. "I'm sorry, but I have to head out. I may or may not be back before 3. Can we end this early, and resume tomorrow?"

"Of course," Lily said quickly.

"No problem," James agreed, shooting a confused look at his wife. Harry stepped outside. Before the door shut, they heard the airman say "O'Neill got his head caught in-" and then the voice cut off. Harry's sharp "WHAT?" penetrated the door quite readily, however.


	10. Part II Chapter 5

April 20th, 2002

James and Lily were waiting anxiously inside the meeting room. Two days before, something had happened that had ensured Harry was unable to continue his meeting with them, and then had to miss yesterday's meeting as well. On top of that, they were barred from the room they had been using before, for a reason they were unaware of. And Harry was five minutes late already.

Ten minutes passed, and then they heard a familiar voice just outside the hallway. "Thank you, General. For this, and everything you've done for me. I feel like I haven't said that nearly enough."

"Think nothing of it, Captain. You deserve it. Now, let's solve one of our problems, shall we?"

"Yes, sir." There was a brief pause, and then Harry walked into the room. No-one said anything for a moment, and then at last, Harry spoke.

"Alright, let's get on with it. Why should I, personally, return to Britain, where I was betrayed and cast out?"

They flinched at his blunt, if accurate, assessment. "If you don't, Voldemort will conquer Britain."

"It sounds like he already has," Harry retorted.

"Everyone you knew before will be killed," James tried.

"Either they already are, or they severed ties with me prior to that farce of a trial."

"Your brother will die?"

"You don't sound so sure of that. Also, he refused to help me during my 'trial.' He can go piss off."

"Harry, your brother was your most outspoken defender," Lily said, surprised.

"And doesn't that speak volumes?" Harry asked, bitingly. "I think we all know how this is going to end. We're done here. I'll put in a word on your behalf with MACUSA, but, however interesting your little story was, and I will confess that it was good to get closure on some things, I am not returning to Britain ever again. Goodbye, and may you rot in hell." Halfway through his rant, Harry had walked to the door. In a panic, realizing that they would never get another chance, James bolted from his seat and tackled his son to the ground, activating their emergency portkey just before they landed. Lily followed a second behind, just as the door flung open and three armed servicemen burst into the, now very empty, briefing room.

April 19th, 2002

Entrance Hall, Hogwarts School

With a flash of light, three people appeared on the first floor landing. Harry immediately pulled himself away from James' grasp, drawing the zat'nik'tel he had foolish left in his pocket when he entered the room. Almost as an afterthought, he drew his power into his palm, willing a glowing cyan shield into existence around him. As several people thundered down the stairs, Harry searched for his staff. He cursed aloud when he could not find it.

Harry turned to face the group forming behind him, keeping his weapon trained on James. "Where am I?" He demanded.

"Y-you're at Hogwarts," Lily said.

"Why?"

"Because we need you to help us," James said, "and you refused."

"You dumb fuck! How in the name of Ganos Lal do you think I can help you defeat a Dark Lord who has been running roughshod over magical Europe for seven fucking years, after having at best four years of magical instruction?" Silence was his answer. "Well? How?" 

"T-the prophecy," Lily stammered at last, "it said…"

"The prophecy says that only you can end the Dark Lord's reign," Professor McGonagall interjected. "Usually I do not put stock in the words of self-proclaimed 'seers,' but You-Know-Who is indestructible, to all means we know, just as the prophecy itself states! Only you can kill him, Harry Potter. Do you want the deaths of everyone he kills to be on your conscience?"

"It won't be," Harry proclaimed. "You saw to that." Coiled bolts of lightning arced through the air towards the onlookers as Harry turned a snake statuette towards McGonagall. James's eyes widened when one of the bolts bypassed her shield, and she slumped to the ground. He realized too late that she wasn't Harry's only target. Lightning raced through his skin, pain akin to the cruciatus curse tore through him. His vision was consumed by static.

Harry, satisfied, ran towards the doors to the grounds, even as more Order members ran into the room, casting spells in his direction. He growled in aggravation when the behemoth door refused to budge. He diverted energy from the shield in an effort to override the locking spell. Nothing. He raised the serpentine handgun once again. Before he could fire on the door, a jet of red light overwhelmed his shield, striking him in the back, and he fell into a magically-induced slumber.

\- o -

"I'm glad you were willing to meet with me on such short notice, Prime Minister," Major Paul Davis said solemnly.

"I understand it's a matter of some importance?"

"Indeed. A little over twenty-four hours ago, British ambassadors representing a classified branch of your government kidnapped an Air Force officer from a secure facility. They managed to escape with their prisoner, bypassing all security measures, before an alarm could even be sounded."

"I see," Prime Minister Tony Blair said, disturbed. "I can assure you, my people had no part in this… attack."

"That's all well and good, Prime Minister, but what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll make some calls. They've gone too far."


	11. Part III Chapter I

April 19th, 2002

Teachers' Lounge, Hogwarts School

Nathan slammed the door behind him as he stalked into the room. With a flick of his wand and a flash of light, he sealed the door, trapping the senior members of the Order of the Phoenix in the room with him. He saw, to his satisfaction, that his parents gulped nervously as he approached the head of the table. As he took his seat, he glared down the table, his murderous gaze locked on the elder Potters and on Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I hereby call this meeting to order," he growled, a hint of a feral snarl echoing in his voice. "Now, what the ever-loving shite were you thinking? Or were you not when you decided to abduct a serviceman from a military base in an allied country? You broke international law yesterday. And for what, exactly? Enlighten me."

After a moment of stunned silence, he hissed, "That was not a request."

"We had to!" James exclaimed, caught off-guard and more than a little frightened by the fierce scowl on Nathan's face.

Lily hurried to elaborate on her husband's statement. "If we hadn't done what we did, Harry wouldn't have come back at all."

"How, exactly, does this justify an act of war against a, presumably now former, ally? MACUSA will not stand for what you did."

"Not only that, Mrs. Potter," McGonagall said, irritably, "you may have lost us our only chance at convincing him to help. Did you hear his words when he arrived? He was very clear that he no longer cares."

"What do you mean, we lost the chance to convince him? We brought him here so we could show him how bad things actually are. We wouldn't have a chance at all if we hadn't brought him back with us, and the needs of the many outweigh the wants of the one."

Murmurs of agreement swept through the lounge at Lily's words. Nathan closed his eyes in fury.

"You may well have brought us into a second war, mother. How is that catering to the needs of our population?" Nathan demanded angrily.

"The colonies don't have the guts to attack us. We're the strongest magical nation in the world!" Dorcas Meadowes crowed.

"We used to be the strongest magical nation in the world. Before your former leader allowed the worst Dark Lord in centuries become a threat again. Before your incompetence let that same Dark Lord get stronger than he had ever been before his disappearance. Before he shattered magical Britain into tiny pieces and swallowed them up one by one. We have few, if any, allies left to defend us, and only a handful of combat-capable witches and wizards. MACUSA could eradicate us from the face of the earth, because Hogwarts is all that is left of our nation. And now they have a reason to act against us!"

"Why don't we deal with this issue at another time, when we have all had time to calm ourselves?" Kingsley Shacklebolt interjected.

"Why don't we see how you do defending the secret passageways, Shacklebolt?" Nathan snapped. "They wouldn't have been able to provoke MACUSA without your illegal portkey."

"There's no way that's fair!" Mundungus Fletcher squawked. "Demotin' a man for sometin' he di'nt do?"

"He possessed an international portkey, created for travel to and from MACUSA territory, without the legal authorization or MACUSA's permission. That would get him a prison sentence in normal times, Fletcher!" Nathan shouted.

"Dese ain't normal times. Leave 'im be!" For the first time in many years, many of the senior members of the Order of the Phoenix agreed with the shady character. Nathan's eyebrow twitched irritably.

"What are we going to do about that snake statuette thing Harry had with him?" James cried over the noise after a moment's thought.

"Snake statuette...thing?" Fletcher was caught off-guard by the forceful change in subject.

"It's an ornate S-shaped figure of some kind, patterned like a snake. Harry used it to incapacitate several of our number before he was finally Stunned," James explained, slowly.

"That… actually sounds somewhat familiar," Ron Weasley murmured. "Did anyone here get hit by it?" The room, mercifully, was much calmer than it had been a short moment before. 

"I did," James said. "It felt… I don't have any good point of comparison. Imagine… getting hit by a bolt of lightning that doesn't seem to stop. A bolt of lightning that only gets stronger and stronger as time goes by, twisting your perception of time, consuming more and more of your awareness, until the only thing left to experience is the pain…" He shivered at the memory.

Ron looked up vacantly at the ceiling as he thought. A few seconds later, he said, "It's some kind of ancient Egyptian spell focus, designed to cast only the one spell. I remember… Hermione telling me about it." He deflated sadly.

"Do you remember anything about it bypassing shield spells?"

"...No, I don't. Why?" 

"Before I got hit, I saw Harry use it on Minnie. It was like she had never cast a protego charm," James said, ignoring McGonagall's indignant hiss at the nickname.

"How the eff did he get sometin' that damn old?" Fletcher interjected, intrigued.

"We'll have to ask him that," Nathan said at last. "And hope he decides to answer our questions truthfully."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because we've backed him into a corner, and he will do anything he can to escape our grasp."

"What can we do to prevent that?"

"Can we please get back on track!" Katie Bell finally shouted. "My group has a lot of things that needs to be covered, and we all have places to be in fifteen minutes! You can sort out your boy problem after we've ensured we're going to survive the night! Merlin damn you all."

"Alright. To wrap all this up," Nathan said with a decisive nod, "Ron, look into that snake focus. I want a report in three days, everything you can find. Fred, test it out on some targets. See if we can use if for anything else. Daphne, get us some intel on what MACUSA is planning. If they are planning to go to war with us, I want time to talk them down.

"Katie, what do you have for me?"

She took a moment to collect her thoughs. "It's bad. We've lost three more to Vanishing Sickness, Madame Pomfrey is at her wit's end trying to keep it contained. We may also have an outbreak of Cerebrumous Spattergroit to contend with. It's too early to tell, and no-one wants to get close to the patient while she's contagious, whether it is or isn't the worse strain.

"To compound that problem, while Professor Sprout was able to repair Greenhouse Seven, but the plants that were inside it are a total loss. Under normal circumstances, she'd have, if not outright purchased replacements, recommended a group of NEWT Herbology students head into the forest to find substitutes, but with You-Know-Who's army having taken up residence somewhere within… It won't be long before medicinal potions become much more costly to make, and our stores are dwindling fast with the outbreaks.

"That's not factoring in the lack of skilled brewers, either. Snape's gone, who knows where he went if not to kiss his master's arse. None of the students have the skill to mix potions like that yet, and we have no-one to teach them. The few loyal witches and wizards that survived the attack on Saint Mungo's only had to administer potions, not brew them."

Katie took a deep breath. "We need to seriously consider evacuating."

The horrified silence, at last, was broken when Nathan said, "Where, exactly, would we evacuate to? The rest of Europe is under Voldemort's control. China, Russia, India, Korea, and Japan want nothing to do with any European powers, under any circumstances. They made that painfully clear two years ago, when they each killed the entire team of delegates, Australia doesn't have an organized magical society to protect us from the native horrors while we prepare defensive wards, and we just attacked MACUSA!"

"Then we negotiate with them," Daphne said softly. "We send Harry back to them, and beg their forgiveness for our transgression. We explain that James and Lily were not working for us when they abducted him, and plead for amnesty from Voldemort."

"HELL no!" Dorcas hissed with fury. "I refuse to bend my knee to those upstarts!"

"Yeah, we don't need no stinkin' Mucus slime tellin' us where we can 'n can't go!"

"Alright," Ron snapped. "Listen here, you lot! The Order of the Phoenix is all but gone. Hogwarts is running out of supplies. Morale is at an all-time low, and here we are bickering like children and categorically refusing what may be the only option available to us. If we can't come up with a working plan of action soon, we might as well just march out with our arms tied behind our backs and surrender to the Dark Lord right now."

Nathan quickly took control of the meeting in the ensuing silence, proclaiming, "Group leaders, I want to talk to all of you tomorrow. Clearly we all need some time to cool off a bit, as much as I hate to admit it. Meeting adjourned."


End file.
